Challenges for constitutive analysis of the mechanism of spiculous skeleton construction

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17KT0019
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 特設分野
• Research Field: Constructive Systems Biology
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Funayama Noriko 京都大学, 理学研究科, 准教授 (30276175)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-07-18 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 形態形成 / 骨格形成 / 骨片骨格形成

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research proposal consists of three very challenging projects, all of which aim to "further elucidate the mechanism of spiculous skeleton formation" of non-model organisms, sponges. This is our laboratory's original research that has no similar studies in Japan or abroad. The project aimed at elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of "gemmosclere" transport during gemmule formation, we have succeeded in obtaining a set of candidate genes might involve in this process by RNAseq. Other projects could not be carried out as planned due to unexpected technical and biological difficulties, but we were able to obtain many important findings for future research development in the course of our efforts.

Free Research Field

発生生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

申請者らは非常に独創性の高いカイメン骨片骨格形成機構の研究から、「形作りの要素は細胞」という動物胚の研究によるこれまでの知見とは全く異なる、「細胞は作業員として働き、産生した物体（骨片など）を操作する形作り」という新規コンセプトの形態形成機構を発見した。近年、硬骨魚のヒレ形成でも、同様の機構が働くことが他のグループの研究から明らかになり、この形態形成機構は、動物の形作りの理解を拡張する、発生生物学の教科書に新しい章を開くような研究であると評価いただいている。本研究の成果は、カイメン骨片骨格形成機構のさらなる理解に留まらず、「作業員細胞による形作り機構」の理解に繋がる学術的に重要な知見である。